Jewelry shopping in India

[lambskin]

We are travelling to Northern India this summer (basically Delhi and the foothills of the Himalayas). I have been to Delhi years ago and bought intricate silver pieces as gold was out of my budget. Also bought some ethnic/folk necklaces made with fresh water pearls and chunks of tourquise and coral. Now that India is a big diamond and gem cutting nation, is there something I should be looking for i.e. unmounted colored gems or diamonds? I would love a pretty bracelet or pendant set with colored gems but the traditional 22 carat pieces are a little too ornate for me. A large amethyst set in a gold pendant is on my wish list. We live in the states so the exchange rate should be good but IIRC gold is sold at the international rate and the markup wlll be for labor, overhead and profit. Is there an area to go to (i.e. a jewelers row) that has a lot of stores? What would you look for if you were making a trip to India? Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thank you.

 

[chrono]

Lambskin,
To be safe, I would stick to an all gold piece or if shopping for something with coloured stones, just presume that they are likely to be synthetic or highly treated. My mother is headed to India this summer and she knows zilch about gemstones and I have given her the same advice. She is buying a pair of high karat gold earrings for me. I'm super excited and I know you are too!

These posters might be able to help you better:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-necklaces-to-choose-from-for-indian-wedding.187101/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-necklaces-to-choose-from-for-indian-wedding.187101/[/URL]
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/antique-golconda-diamond-and-sapphire-ring.197998/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/antique-golconda-diamond-and-sapphire-ring.197998/[/URL]

 

[lambskin]

Thank you Chrono for responding to my post and hyperlinking to more info. When travelling and buying abroad you really have to be careful because it is hard to fix mistakes and errors so far away. That is is why I try not to spend big bucks on jewelry but the temptation is there when you walk by the windows and see the glow and sparkle. I read an article in The Financial Times that a lot of Indians who thought that their 22kt gold jewelry was really not 22kt and they discovered it when they tried to resell it or melt it down for newer designs. The percentage was pretty high. So if locals who may be in the know are getting ripped off a tourist is really at risk. But I would love a pretty pendant with a few small rubies, sapphires and emeralds and perhaps a few diamonds on a lovely gold chain. Oh well, one can only window shop.

 

[hippi_pixi]

I haven't bought jewellery in india but my inlaws are indian and I've seen them shopping in india and i just wanted to caution that indian seller can be cut throat when i comes to foreign buyers. my friend is from hyderabad but grew up in india and canada. they picked her as a foreigner (despite her obvious indian heritage) and offered her foreigner prices and she tore them a new one. offered them the indian price which was 30% and they haggled to 40% of the original price. I've been warned not to buy anything without a native with me to get a good price. with some things like silk scarves the local pricewas so cheap that even the foreign was was cheap compared to what we're used to.

 

[Judicious]

I don't have much idea about jewelry shopping because I use only a few. But if you want to ship it from India then I will suggest you go for gold jewelry. In India you can also prefer some folk jewelry made by Perls, corals and any other stones. Hand made and multi-colored jewelry will also attract you there.